The aim of this study is to present a series of 11 patients with non-discogenic sciatica (NDS), and to review the diagnostic techniques of careful clinical and radiological examination. The cases include lumbar radicular herpes zoster, lumbar nerve root schwannoma, lumbar instability, facet hypertrophy, ankylosing spondylitis, sacroiliitis, sciatic neuritis, piriformis syndrome, intrapelvic mass and coxarthrosis. The pain pattern and accompanying symptoms were the major factors suggesting a non-discogenic etiology...

This article presents a reevaluation of studies previously performed regarding the efficacy and safety of dexibuprofen (Seractil; S(+)-ibuprofen) for use in patients with inflammatory or degenerative diseases. Using appropriate standardized measures (univariate and multivariate analysis with the Mann-Whitney statistic with confidence intervals), the authors were able to compare the effects of treatment in different diseases. For the primary criterion and for the combined analysis of all efficacy criteria, one-sided equivalence was proved in all six studies reviewed...

The evaluation of the mineral content of peripheral bones by measuring the photon absorption of the radius has proven to be a valuable method for routine clinical work: for diagnosis, follow-up and control of therapy. While there was a significant difference in the findings of normal persons compared with those of patients suffering from osteoporosis, renal osteodystrophy, osteogenesis imperfecta and skeletal fluorosis, there was no difference between normals and these patients suffering from Bechterew, Scheuermann, coxarthrosis, spondylosis, skoliosis and rheumatoid arthritis...

We have studied the nerves of the synovium and capsules of 6 hips with ankylosing spondylitis, 6 hips with rheumatoid arthritis and 14 cases of coxarthrosis either primary or secondary to a malformation. The nerves were studied with the usual methods of peripheral neuropathology. In the various diseases except 5 cases of coxarthrosis secondary to a malformation, the inflammatory and vascular involvements with tissue fibrosis were able to affect the nerves crossing the tissues. This nerve involvement could be the cause of articular pain...

Resurfacing arthroplasty according to Wagner was used in 40 hips (31 patients) with coxarthrosis or arthritis. The severe, disabling preoperative pain was eliminated in all patients. There was a considerable increase in range of movement, and the functional results were very good. Of the 24 patients previously in employment but disabled by their hip condition, 22 have returned to their former occupations. Complications occurred in only four cases.

The authors administered by passive haemagglutination, natural or denatured type I and II anticollagen antibodies in the serum of 83 rheumatoid polyarthritis, 20 ankylosing spondylarthritis, 30 relapsing polychondritis, 13 diffuse sclerodermics, 12 Gougerot-Sjögren syndrome patients. Type II natural anti-collagen antibodies are common in relapsing polychondritis (37 percent). They are rarer in rheumatoid polyarthritis (15 percent) and the frequency is identical to that found in patients suffering from gonarthrosis and coxarthrosis...

80 female patients were tested for personality differences by the Freiburg Personality Inventory and the Giessen Test Self Image. They were divided into four groups with 20 patients each, suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, spondylosis and coxarthrosis. While RA patients did not significantly differ from AS patients, nor spondylosis patients from coxarthrosis patients, certain personality differences were detected between the patients with inflammatory and those with degenerative rheumatic diseases...

Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis, spondylosis, coxarthrosis, ankylosing spondylitis, chronic active and chronic alcoholic hepatitis were studied. The plasma vitamin E content remained unchanged. The TBA-reactive plasma substances (malondialdehyde) content of plasma increased in all patients except those with ankylosing spondylitis. Catalase activity of plasma increased in patients of both sexes suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and spondylosis and coxarthrosis, but decreased in the two hepatitis groups...

A retrospective investigation of the prescription of nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSA) was performed in the Rheumatologic out-patient-institute in Zagreb, including 1000 patients of both sexes, aged 20-70 years. 500 outpatients were treated by NSA during 1987 and 1989 respectively for lumbosacral syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and coxarthrosis. The kind of NSA as well as the registered side-effects were analysed from case histories. During 1987, NSA were applied to 365 (73%) and during 1989 to 390 (78%) of the 500 patients...

The gonadal load was measured during radiation therapy of humeroscapular periarthritis, coxarthrosis, diseases of the vertebral column and of the sacro-iliac joint (disease Bechterew) for different irradiation techniques. All measurements have been performed by LiF dosimeters and with an Alderson phantom using 250 kV X-radiation. The gonadal dose with respect to the surface dose was in the range of tenths of one per mill in case of humeroscapular periarthritis and reached values up to about 30 per cent in coxarthrosis and Bechterew disease...

The elimination of calcium, phosphorus, hydroxyproline and nitrogen was studied in 127 patients with inflammatory joint diseases and )6 healthy controls for 4 days. On the third day, 186 mg of calcium was administered intravenously. Provoked hypercalciuria tests were made in 35 males, 116 females with rheumatiod arthritis (RA), 18 males with ankylosing spondylitis (ASp), 8 postinfectious arthritis (PA) and 18 healthy controls (C). In 120 patients comparison was made between the ratios of eliminated P/hydroxyproline, Ca/hydroxyproline and P/Ca with regards to the results obtained in healthy controls...

Radiograms and case histories of 654 randomized patients with 976 arthrotic hip joints have been reviewed in an attempt to make an etiological diagnosis. 98.3% of the patients and 98.8% of arthrotic hips, respectively, could be determined as to their underlying praearthrotic deformities according to Hackenbroch sen. The respective mean value gained from 6556 patients published in the world literature is 74.2% with marked individual variations. Most frequent praearthrotic condition was found to be congenital hip dislocation, followed by epiphyseolysis capitis femoris juvenilis, trauma, coxitis, M...

A double-blind trial was carried out in 15 patients with ankylosing spondylitis and 15 with coxarthrosis to assess the effectiveness of 300 mg flurbiprofen daily, administered in divided doses either twice or 3-times a day. Patients were allocated at random to receive treatment for 7 days either with a morning and evening dose of 150 mg flurbiprofen plus a mid-day dose of placebo, or with 3 doses of 100 mg flurbiprofen. They were then crossed over to the alternative regimen for a further 7 days. The results, evaluated by a 5-point rating scale of pain severity and of functional activity and by overall patient and doctor assessments, showed that flurbiprofen was effective in 66% of the 26 patients completing the trial...